MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Defense lawyers in the State House vote-buying case continued Wednesday to assault the cred­ibility of a wire-wearing state senator, attempting to paint him as someone who made disparaging remarks about black voters and had a single­-minded focus on elevating the Republican Party.

Defense lawyers kept Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, on the stand all day in an ag­gressive cross-examination. Beason was quizzed about conversations captured by the wires he wore, including one in which he referred to people at a casino in predominantly black Greene County as "ab­origines."

"There were things we heard today that were very disturbing about him and about his role," Jim Parkman, a lawyer representing defendant Sen. Harri Anne Smith, I-Slocomb, said after court.

Beason wore a wire to help FBI agents investigate allegations that gambling interests were trying to buy votes on a bill that would have allowed electronic bingo at several casinos in the state.

But the recording equipment also picked up potentially embarrassing remarks by Beason as he left it running during conversations with GOP colleagues.

VictoryLand Milton McGregor defense lawyer Bobby Segall had Beason read the transcripts of those remarks to jurors, about half of whom are black. In one conversation, Beason and others discuss their fears that many black voters would turn up at the polls if a constitutional amendment on electronic bingo was placed on the ballot.

"Every black in this state will be bused to the polls," said a person who was not identified on the transcript.

Larry Dixon, who was a Republican state senator from Montgomery at the time, said the voters will be taken to the polls on "HUD-financed buses."

In another conversation, Beason and others are discussing the distressed economy of Greene County, home to Greenetrack.

"That's y'all's Indians," said former state Rep. Benjamin Lewis, R-Dothan.

"They're aborigines, but they're not Indians," Beason responded.

Beason testified that he did not remember the conversation.

"I'd want to forget it, too," Segall quipped.

"What must you say, Senator Beason, when you don't know you are on tape," Segall said.

McGregor, Smith and seven others face charges of trying to buy and sell votes for a gambling bill before lawmakers in 2010. The bill would have called for a statewide referendum on whether VictoryLand and a few other casinos could offer electronic bingo machines.

Segall also suggested during cross-examination that Beason would be willing to put an innocent man in prison to help the GOP win control of the Senate.

"That's not correct," Beason replied in one of the more testy exchanges during 1 1/2 days of cross-examination.

Beason did concede that a referendum on gambling would have hurt the Republican Party's chances of taking over the Legislature.

Parkman asked Beason during cross-examination if he had a political grudge against Smith, who was kicked out of the GOP after she endorsed Democrat Bobby Bright in a congressional race. Beason said he didn't. Smith ran in the Republican primary for Congress but was defeated, and Beason had worked for her campaign.

Beason testified earlier that Smith told him in March 2009 that gambling interests would give him $500,000 to run for a statewide race if he was on their "team."

But Beason did not go to the FBI with allegations of bribes at that time, and he did not report the conversation with Smith to FBI agents when they first interviewed him, according to records of his interviews.

Smith after court said, "It never happened. You'll hear more about that later."

Beason also conceded that an error on a draft of a gambling bill made by defendant Ray Crosby, a former employee of the Legislative Reference Service, could have been an honest mistake since he didn't talk to Crosby before he drafted the bill.

"When you talked to him directly, he did exactly to the letter what you wanted," Segall asked Beason. Beason said that was true.

Crosby is accused of making changes McGregor wanted to a draft of a bill, and prosecutors contend he was paid $3,000 a month by McGregor while working in the legislative office.

Beason wanted to draft a bill that would have banned all bingo in Alabama, including paper bingo. He asked the LRS to draft the bill. The draft he got back would not have banned paper bingo.

However, it would have banned electronic bingo, and it would not have protected VictoryLand, Beason conceded Wednesday.

Defense lawyers were all smiles leaving the courthouse after a day of applying intense pressure on the prosecution's lead-off witness in the case.

"We could not have had a better day. It seems like every day is getting better and better," said Joe Espy, a lawyer representing McGregor.

Prosecutors today will try to rehabilitate Beason's testimony, repairing any damage inflicted by defense lawyers during the cross-examination. Parkman said he didn't think prosecutors could resurrect Beason's credibility.

"I'm sure they are going to try. If they do, it will be a magnificent job, magnificent job because I'm not sure God himself could rehabilitate him," Parkman said.

Smith said after court that Beason should resign.

"Disgusting, distasteful and inexcusable," Smith said about comments caught on tape.

Earlier in the week, Beason testified that, during a 2010 meeting with McGregor, Country Crossing owner Ronnie Gilley and Gilley lobbyist Jarrod Massey about his vote on the gambling bill, that McGregor told him he needed "new friends."

"We've got a bad habit of supporting our friends," McGregor told Beason on the recorded conversation. Beason also testified that Massey and Gilley delivered an offer to steer him $1 million through a public relations firm that he could use personally or could use to fund other candidates, helping him to become a political kingmaker.

The trial resumes at 8:30 a.m. After prosecutors finish their second round of questions for Beason, their next witness will be Rep. Barry Mask, R-Wetumpka, who also cooperated with investigators.